Hot stuff here at Skylemar. 96 steamy degrees during the day, and still a sticky 82 at bedtime.
Shep called it Minimal Speed Monday. The morning schedule would go as planned, but sports were to be played at a slower pace. We all carried water bottles, and the Sunscreen & Hydration Golf Cart was constantly on the go.
Morning Announcements included a “commercial” from Barnicus, the Warrior of Clean. It’s our Program Director Barney, who has a way of putting on a costume and making anything fun. Even cleaning. Barnicus explained daily Inspection Perfection, which happens each morning from 9:15-10. After breakfast everyone makes their bed, and then each cabinmate tackles a chore to keep the bunk organized and tidy. Well let’s say tidy-as-can-be, with 9 or so people living in one room. One guy has sweep, one has dustpan, one has trash and so on. Don’t get excited…it’s one of those things they only do at camp.
Especially in this heat, we’re grateful for our newly built outdoor dining pavilion. It’s an enormous 135’ long open-air structure that holds the entire camp sitting at 40 picnic tables. The fresh Maine air flows right through, which makes it far more comfortable than being inside a building. Best of all, the whole camp can gather here as one big family, without limitations.
By afternoon it was just too darn hot. We changed the entire day’s plan to one that had more in the water, along with some relaxing activities. Skylemar has two beach areas (The Waterfront and Sky Pines) used for swimming, non-motorized boating (sailing, kayaking, canoeing), fishing, snorkeling, waterskiing and wakeboarding. When you weren’t in the water, there was Dog Treat Making, Archery, Lego Creations, Photography, Chill Top (arts & crafts), Chess, Ping Pong, Yellowhorn (outdoor science), Mini Golf and Yard Games. The snow cone machine made its debut, and all enjoyed the unlimited flavors.
Tonight’s Scavenger Hunt was a huge hit. There were six stations that the teams (two cabin groups from the same Division) rotated through. Each had its own items to find, tasks to accomplish and quiz questions to answer. For example, at Adam’s Skydeck station the team had to name five types of cheese, write a camp haiku, find something with a sticker on it as well as a piece of clothing with a button. And of course, each teammate had to “drip” (hand sanitize) before moving on the next station.
Another hot one’s on the way. Stay tuned for what’s in store.
